Foldable umbrella.



W. H.`BBEHLBR. FOLDABLB UMBBBLLA. nrmormon maan 1120.4, moo.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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UNITEI) STATES IATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY BEEHLER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM BEEHLER, INC., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

FOLDABLE UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed December 4, 1909. Serial No. 531,395.

'l 'o all iti/10m it may concern:

Be it known that I, limitan HENRY llanura-m, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland. have invented certain new and useful lniiroveineuts in Foldable Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to umbrella construetion by means of which the tip or ferrule end of un umbrella may be removed from normal position and folded alongside the umbrella. The irincipal object of this is to shorten the umbrella and permit it to be packed in a trunk or suit-case.

Umbrellas embodying my invention will usually be made with removable or foldalile handles to permit further shortening of the umbrella. My type of folding construction may in many cases be applied to the handle ends, but such adaptations will he apparent to persons skilled in the art and they will not he herein particularly delscribed.

lt is evident that whenV the tip isin its removed or folded position any projection of the rod or extension there rom beyond the end of the cover increases the folded length of the umbrella.

An important object of my invention is to so construct the umbrella and folding tip that the over-all length of the folded nmhrella is as small as possible and so that the total length of the folded umbrella is no greater or very little greater than the dimensions of the cover require.

.\n umbrella of my construction, because of the absence of any considerable pro'ection beyond the end of the cover w en folded, may be packed straight in a trunk or snit-case having an inside length only Vlightly greater than the length of the ribs.

Fui-ther objects of my invention are to enable the foregoing advantages to be realized by means of a simple and cheap construction, and also to provide means of fixing the detachable tip in position which will automatically take up any wear or play which may appear in the parts, and also to provide a new and advantageous combination of the rod, notch, and finishing cap, designed to coperate with other features of the invention and also having utility in separate applications.

The accompanying drawing shows an exemplifying form of the invention which is the best that ll have up to the present time devised; but it is to be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms.

In the drawing, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the portion of an umbrella rod distant f'roin the handle, only the necessary parts being shown to make the relation of my invention to an ordinary umbrella clear. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the tip end in folded position.

Reference character l designates the rod and 2, the notch secured thereon and having a portion projecting beyond the end of the rod somewhat. as at 3. T he rod and notch, taken together, are sometimes identified in the claims as a shaft-structure and it is observed that this shaft structure has a tuliular form, the bore of the tube being open at the end toward the tip. The ribs 4 are secured in the notch in any usual or suitable way. The extended portion 3 of the notch may conveniently be provided with an exterior screw-three 6 upon which the finishing cap 5 is screwed. Otherwise, the cap may be brazed or secured to the notch in any other convenient way. It is not essential to the main purpose of the invention that the finishing cap be secured to the notch. lt may in some cases be fixed to the tip.

The tip or ferruleend 7 has an extension or dowel 8 adapted to enter the bore of the shaft-structure or rod 1 and a screw 8, adapted to` engage an internal screw 9 formed in the notch. Within the rod is a slider or shank 10, provided at the inner end with a shoulder 11. The slider is pivoted at the opposite end to a link 13, and the link is in turn pivoted to the extension or dowel 8. A stop 12 is provided in the rod to limit the outward movement of the shank or slider, 10. This stop may be formed by indenting the rod, as shown.

Fig. 1 shows the tip in normal position with screw 8 engaging the internal screw 9 of the notch. The tip is folded by rotating it in relation to the rod, thus disengaging the screw from the screw-socket in the notch.

The tip is then pulled out until shoulder 11 on slider 10 encounters stop 12, and the tip is folded down alongside the umbrella as shown in Fig. 2. It is evident that the umbrella when folded must be at least as long as the distance from the points of the ribs to the end of the notch. The only increase over this minimum lengt-h required in the `structure. described is that of the short extension 3 of the notch. This amounts to a small fractionless than one-half-an inch.

My invention is not limited to the specific combination of rod, notch and screw-thread arrangement shown, but this particular form of the invention is a valuable one because of the cheap and eliicient manner in which the rod, notch and finishing cap are assembled, and because thisconstruction is well ada ted to accommodate itseltl to the desired torni of the folding parts. In replacing the tip, the screw is always set. up tight, and play or looseness that would otherwise gradually appear is thus taken up without special attention on the part of the user.

'l`he structure described permits the use of metal tubing of standard size for the rod, and at the sinne time avoids brealiages and other disadvantages which occur if it is attempted to internally screw-thread the rod. The method of securing the tip to the rod also rovides very great strength at the joint anc, in fact, the part of the frame structure adjacent to the joint is stronger than the rest of the rod. A screw thread of ample size and strength to hold the ti is permitted bv the fact that this tlirea is formed in the extension of the notch and, moreover, this thread can be easily made and can be immune to the effects of moisture, because it is possible, and usually preferable, to form the tip of relatively soft and non-rusting metal, such as a brass composition, instead of steel.

I claim:

1. In an umbrella, the combination of a rigid hollow metallic rod, a notch thereon extending beyond the end of the rod and having an internal screw thread reaching from the end of the extension approximately to the end of the rod and of an inner diameter approximately the .same as the outer diameter of the rod, a removable tip screw threaded to engage the internal thread in` the notch, a dowel extending from the tip, a slider within the rod provided with a head at itsI inner end, and a link pivotally connected to lhe slider and the tip dowel, the rod being provided with a `stop at some distance from the end thereof to engage the slider head.

2. In an Iunbrella, the combination ot' a rigid hollow metallic rod, a notch thereon extending beyond the end of the rod and havin(r an internal screw thread, a removable tip screw-thicaded to engage the internal tlii'ead in the notch, a member extending from the tip, a slider within the rod provided with an abutment at its inner end, and a link pivotally connecting the slider to said member, the. rod being provided with a stop to engage said abutment and limit the outward movement of the slider.

3. ln an umbrella, the combination of a tubular metallic rod, a notch thereon havingl a portion extending beyond the end of the rod, said extended portion having an internal screw thread, a removable tip having a screw to engage said internal thread, a slider within the rod, a link connecting the slider with the tip, and a stop to engage the slider and limit its outward movement.

4. In an umbrella, the combination of a tubular metal rod, a notch structure thereon having a )ortion extending beyond the end of the ro a removable tip having a screw engaging an internal thread in said extended notch portion, a slider within the rod, a stop for the slider, a link connecting the slider with the tip and a finishing cap screwed upon the extended end of the notch.

WILLIAM HENRY BEEHLER.

Witnesses JoiiN H. Wrrrio, Roizirr H. Gianna.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Wallng'ton, D. 0. 

